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Nick Strayer
Currently searching for Data Scientist positions
Education
Vanderbilt University
PhD. Candidate, biostatistics
Nashville, TN
2020 - 2015
Dissertation on Bayesian network models and interactive biomedical visualization platforms
University Graduate Fellow
University of Vermont
B.S., mathematics, statistics
Burlington, VT
2015 - 2011
Minored in computer science
Thesis: An agent based model of Diel Vertical Migration patterns of Mysis diluviana
Research Experience
Graduate Research Assistant
TBILab (Yaomin Xu’s Lab)
Vanderbilt University
2020 - 2015
- Primarilly working with large EHR and Biobank datasets.
- Developing network-based methods to investigate and visualize clinically relevant patterns in data.
Data Science Researcher
Data Science Lab
Johns Hopkins University
2018 - 2017
- Building R Shiny applications in the contexts of wearables and statistics education.
- Work primarily done in R Shiny and Javascript (node and d3js).
Undergraduate Researcher
Rubenstein Ecosystems Science Laboratory
University of Vermont
2015 - 2013
- Analyzed and visualized data for CATOS fish tracking project.
- Head of data mining project to establish temporal trends in population densities of Mysis diluviana (Mysis).
- Ran project to mathematically model the migration patterns of Mysis (honors thesis project.)
Human Computer Interaction Researcher
LabInTheWild (Reineke Lab)
University of Michigan
2015
- Led development and implementation of interactive data visualizations to help users compare themselves to other demographics.
Undergraduate Researcher
Bentil Laboratory
University of Vermont
2014 - 2013
- Developed mathematical model to predict the transport of sulfur through the environment with applications in waste cleanup.
Research Assistant
Adair Laboratory
University of Vermont
2013 - 2012
- Independently analyzed and constructed statistical models for large data sets pertaining to carbon decomposition rates.
Industry Experience
Data Journalist - Graphics Department
New York Times
New York, New York
2016
- Reporter with the graphics desk covering topics in science, politics, and sport.
- Work primarily done in R, Javascript, and Adobe Illustrator.
- Had most read and discussed article for entire paper for month of August, 2016.
Engineering Intern - User Experience
Dealer.com
Burlington, VT
2015
- Built internal tool to help analyze and visualize user interaction with backend products.
Data Science Intern
Dealer.com
Burlington, VT
2015
- Worked with the product analytics team to help parse and visualize large stores of data to drive business decisions.
Data Artist In Residence
Conduce
Carpinteria, CA
2015 - 2014
- Envisioned, prototyped and implemented visualization framework in the course of one month.
- Constructed training protocol for bringing third parties up to speed with new protocol.
Software Engineering Intern
Conduce
Carpinteria, CA
2014
- Incorporated d3.js to the company’s main software platform.
Teaching Experience
Data Visualization Best Practices
DataCamp
N/A
2019
- Designed from bottom up course to teach best practices for scientific visualizations.
- Uses R and ggplot2.
- In top 10% on platform by popularity.
Improving your visualization in Python
DataCamp
N/A
2019
- Designed from bottom up course to teach advanced methods for enhancing visualization.
- Uses python, matplotlib, and seaborn.
Advanced Statistical Learning and Inference
Vanderbilt Biostatistics Department
Nashville, TN
2018 - 2017
- TA and lectured
- Topics covered from penalized regression to boosted trees and neural networks
- Highest level course offered in department
Advanced Statistical Computing
Vanderbilt Biostatistics Department
Nashville, TN
2018
- TA and lectured
- Covered modern statistical computing algorithms
- 4th year PhD level class
Statistical Computing in R
Vanderbilt Biostatistics Department
Nashville, TN
2017
- TA and lectured
- Covered introduction to R language for statistics applications
- Graduate level class
Selected Press (About)
Great paper? Swipe right on the new ‘Tinder for preprints’ app
Science
N/A
2017
- Story of the app Papr made with Jeff Leek and Lucy D’Agostino McGowan.
Swipe right for science: Papr app is ‘Tinder for preprints’
Nature News
N/A
2017
- Second press article for app Papr.
The Deeper Story in the Data
University of Vermont Quarterly
N/A
2016
- Story on my path post graduation and the power of narrative.
Selected Press (By)
The Great Student Migration
The New York Times
N/A
2016
- Most shared and discussed article from the New York Times for August 2016.
Wildfires are Getting Worse, The New York Times
The New York Times
N/A
2016
- GIS analysis and modeling of fire patterns and trends
- Data in collaboration with NASA and USGS
Who’s Speaking at the Democratic National Convention?
The New York Times
N/A
2016
- Data scraped from CSPAN records to figure out who talked and past conventions.
Who’s Speaking at the Republican National Convention?)
The New York Times
N/A
2016
- Used same data scraping techniques as Who’s Speaking at the Democratic National Convention?
A Trail of Terror in Nice, Block by Block
The New York Times
N/A
2016
- Led research effort to put togther story of 2016 terrorist attack in Nice, France in less than 12 hours.
- Work won Silver medal at Malofiej 2017, and gold at Society of News and Design.
Selected Publications, Posters, and Talks
I regularly blog about data science and visualization on my blog LiveFreeOrDichotomize.
Charge Reductions Associated with Shortening Time to Recovery in Septic Shock
Chest
N/A
2019
- Authored with Wesley H. Self, MD MPH; Dandan Liu, PhD; Stephan Russ, MD, MPH; Michael J. Ward, MD, PhD, MBA; Nathan I. Shapiro, MD, MPH; Todd W. Rice, MD, MSc; Matthew W. Semler, MD, MSc.
Multimorbidity Explorer | A shiny app for exploring EHR and biobank data
RStudio::conf 2019
N/A
2019
- Contributed Poster. Authored with Yaomin Xu.
Taking a network view of EHR and Biobank data to find explainable multivariate patterns
Vanderbilt Biostatistics Seminar Series
N/A
2019
- University wide seminar series.
Patient-specific risk factors independently influence survival in Myelodysplastic Syndromes in an unbiased review of EHR records
Under-Review (copy available upon request.)
N/A
2019
- Bayesian network analysis used to find novel subgroups of patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS).
- Analysis done using method built for my dissertation.
Patient specific comorbidities impact overall survival in myelofibrosis
Under-Review (copy available upon request.)
N/A
2019
- Bayesian network analysis used to find robust novel subgroups of patients with given genetic mutations.
- Analysis done using method built for my dissertation.
R timelineViz: Visualizing the distribution of study events in longitudinal studies
Under-Review (copy available upon request.)
N/A
2018
- Authored with Alex Sunderman of the Vanderbilt Department of Epidemiology.
Continuous Classification using Deep Neural Networks
Vanderbilt Biostatistics Qualification Exam
N/A
2017
- Review of methods for classifying continuous data streams using neural networks
- Sucessfully met qualifying examination standards
Asymmetric Linkage Disequilibrium: Tools for Dissecting Multiallelic LD
Journal of Human Immunology
N/A
2015
- Authored with Richard Single, Vanja Paunic, Mark Albrecht, and Martin Maiers.
An Agent Based Model of Mysis Migration
International Association of Great Lakes Research Conference
N/A
2015
- Authored with Brian O’Malley, Sture Hansson, and Jason Stockwell.
Declines of Mysis diluviana in the Great Lakes
Journal of Great Lakes Research
N/A
2015
- Authored with Peter Euclide and Jason Stockwell.